Abstract
Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.), one kind of common oilseeds, has many biologically active compounds including α-linolenic acid (ALA), lignan and dietary fiber. At present, the research of flaxseed is focused on biological and clinical studies of its compounds. However, the studies of flaxseed protein obtained generally from flaxseed cake, are relatively limited. As many other kinds of plant proteins, flaxseed protein presents many excellent functionalities which can be used for food applications. Many evidence have showed that flaxseed protein hydrolysates can provide health benefits to our body, such as anti-bacterial activity, antioxidant capacity and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition ability. Therefore, in order to make better use of flaxseed protein in foods, the extraction, functionalities and applications of flaxseed protein were reviewed in this paper. In addition, the preparation of flaxseed protein hydrolysates was discussed.
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Key Points
This review provides the extraction, functionalities of flaxseed protein, discussing the preparation of flaxseed protein hydrolysates, with the aim to improve the applications of flaxseed protein in food industry. flaxseed protein possesses many functional characteristics, for example water/oil adsorption ability, emulsifying ability, foaming ability and stability. Regarding flaxseed protein hydrolysates, it also can provide several health promoting benefits, particularly anti-hypertensive and antioxidant activities. Therefore, it shows a potential utilization value as a functional additive in food industry. Some applications of flaxseed protein in food systems such as the emulsification, meat analogs, wheat flour substitute, muffins, breads, and ice cream, have been investigated.